Improvement in trunk-locks



A. W. SCHARIT & L. OPPENHEIMER.

Trunk Lock.

Patented April 17, 1866;

Jwerzibns: 44, mm M UNTTTU STATES Tricia.

ATENT AUGUSTUS W. SOHARIT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND LEOPOLD OPPEN- HEIMER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

lMPROVElVlENT IN TRUNK-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,024, dated April 17, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS W. SoHARrr, of the city and county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, now residing in the city of (ashington, District of Columbia, and LEOPOLD OPPENHEIMER, of the last-named city, have invented anew and improved mode of securing traveling trunks and chests from bursting open in transportation and from being opened by hotel-thieves and others without the owners consent, which we have called the Secret Trunk-Securer or Trunk-Guard, designed to be used with, or to supersede the use of, a lock; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, being a part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in providing sundry cheap, secure, and changeable secret fastenings on the inner side of a trunk, to be controlled by ornaments on the outer side thereof, whereby innumerable changes may be introduced in the fastenings of trunks, so that no two trunks may be fastened alike, and even the same trunk may possess the facilities for combinations and changes, which the owner may set and regulate in his own way, so as to battle, at least for a time, the manufacturer of the trunk himself, or even these inventors of the system, from opening the same, if so disposed.

In order to enable others skilled in the arts to make and use our invention, we will proceed more fully to describe the same and to delineate the principles on which our system of trunksecurers efleets the end proposed by the following devices and combinations:

Our invention consists in the combination and arrangement of devices whereby to more securely fasten trunks than by the means heretofore known, so that one acquainted with the combination may readily open and more securely close the same. We have essayed our invention in various ways, some of which are as follows First, one modification of our invention provides a bolt with two or more horizontal elongated slots, with a single screw through each slot, the heads projecting sufficiently to hold the bolt to its work, yet allowing it to play freely on the screws by which it is secured to the trunk on the inner side thereof. This bolt may be moved and controlled by a single nail through a slot in the trunk. (See drawing.) Figure 1, A represents the bolt;-B B, elongated slots; 0 0, screws securing it to the trunk; D, spring forcing bolt forward; E E, holes or perforations in bolt,'through any one of which a nail on the reverse side, passing through a corresponding slot in the trunk or stationary band thereon, will serve to push bolt back by means of an ornamental head large enough to cover the entire slot on the outside of the trunk, and thus efi'eetually conceal its mode of operation from the uninitiated.

Second, we provide a bolt, as before described, with two or more additional slots, one vertical,the other angular, as may also be seen, though not before referred to, in drawing Fig. 1, lettered, respectively, F and G. Through these slots nails or nail-headed screws pass from the reverse side through the trunk or stationary band, and are secured, by means of a washer and nut, over said slots on the inside. The slots in the trunk or stationary band, how ever, through which the nails pass correspond in shape with the movements required, either to push back or to detain the bolt. Thus, that opposite to the vertical slot F in the bolt is angular, "I, as represented in Fig. 10, F in the slotted band rising vertically as high as the top of slot F in bolt, then coursing horizontally in the direction traversed by the bolt a distance equal to that required to release the bolt from its bearing on the books or lid of trunk, as seen in Fig. 1, letter H. When the nail is at the bottom of slot F in the bolt, and F in stationary band or trunk, the bolt cannot be moved. Being raised however to the top of slots, and then being pushed along the horizontal plane of slot F, the bolt will be forced back against spring D, so as to release the lid of the trunk. If another nail be also placed through vertical slot g in stationary band or trunk (Fig. 10 letter 9) and its cotenemental angular slot (Fig. 1) G in bolt, (Fig. 1 or 2, letter 9,) it will be necessary to raise both nails before the bolt will be released so as to yield to any effort to force it back, thus requiring a combination of three distinct movements to unbolt the trunk-two tion to the bolt.

vertical movements, one of each nail, to release the bolt, and one horizontal movement requisite to push it back.

Third, we provide a bolt, as heretofore described, with the additional feature of a back, or teeth along the bottom edge, as seen, though not before referred to, in Fig. l, I, or with teeth or pins also projecting from the side thereof, as seen in Fig. 2, I and K. In the indentations of this rack or against these pins or teeth we cause the upper end of a vertical or oblique rod or lever, L, to rise and act from a nail or pivot, M, to be inserted as a fulcrum at any point along its length. (See Figs. 1 and 2, letters L and M.) In this rod or lever L one or more nails, passing through slot or slots from the outside of trunk, as heretofore described, is used at any point'thereof to communicate mo- If the nail be inserted above the pivot, it will open the trunk by being pushed in the direction which the bolt is to move; if below the pivot, it will be moved in the opposite direction. Along the edges of this rod or lever, at any given points, angular indentations are made, as seen in Fi 1, N, which serve to admit nails, passing through the corresponding slots in the trunk, to hold the rod or lever from being moved until re leased by an upward vertical movement of the said nails so inserted, which are so moved, by the heads thereof, on the outside of the trunk.

Fourth, we provide, in addition to the abovedescribed lever and bolt, a rack to extend along the bottom of the trunk or end, as seen in Fig. 1, O. In the indentations of this rack the footof the aforesaid lever is adjusted, P, at any point where it may have a purchase upon the bolt through the instruinentality of the pivot or fulcrum heretofore described. One or more nails at any point along the .line of this rack,manipulated through slots as above, may also serve to check, move, or control the bolt.

Fifth, across the rod or lever heretofore described we provide a slotted cross-bar, as seen in Fig. 2, Q, intersecting the same at right angles, or at any angle required, which we connect to said lever by a nail. As the rod or lever may extend from the bolt to the bottom of the trunk, so this cross-bar may extend from side to side across the end or front of the trunk whenever employed; and, as the lever may be secured by a pivot at any point on the said end or front, so this crossbar may be adjusted to any point where it will have a purchase upon the lever above or below the pivot; and, as one or more nails may be used through corresponding slots in the trunk, as heretofore described, to move or stay the lever in its action on the bolt, so one or more nails may be in like manner used to move or control the cross-bar in its bearings upon the lever, and through it upon the bolt. Thus the whole end, or front, or outside surface of the trunk is presented as a field wherein innumerable changes and combinations maybe wrought.

Sixth, we provide a bolt, as last described, and against the pins or teeth projecting from its side we cause an upright wedge-headed rod to rise, guided by slots and screws, as seen in Fig.2,R,which rod beingthrust upward by nails through slots, as heretofore described, causes the wedge to press against the said tooth, and thus to press back the bolt. This wedgeheaded rod may be adjusted to any tooth on the bolt, and be moved and controlled by nails through slots, as heretofore described.

Seventh, we provide a hook-headed rod, as seen in Fig. 3, A, where it is seen at home on hook B, thrust there by spring 0, the rod being held by pivot 1) and guided in its movements by screw and slot E. This hooked rod may be moved or checked by nails through corresponding slots, as heretofore described, at any point above or below the pivot. This hooked rod may be adjusted at any point in the front or end of the trunk, as desired.

Eighth, we provide a hook-headed bolt, as last above described, and as is seen in Fig. 3, F, with the upright parallel rod F, having a wedge-shaped head and oblique slot, H, by which its motion is governed when the rod is pressed down, by means of slotted nails, as heretofore, against the screws at H, which gives the same an oblique motion, causing it to push the hook-headed rod from the hearing which it has, as seen in Fig. 3, A B, on the hook in the lid of the trunk. We provide for the protection of the above or any of our combinations, where found expedient, a false end, lining, or apron inside of the trunk, secured at the bottom by a linen or other flexible hinge, or otherwise, toshut up and fasten at the top by a thumb-screw, or otherwise, in such a manner as to afford convenient access to the bolt and its connections. This apron, or the end against which it shuts, is provided with movable buff-headed screws 0 0, to serve as buffers when adjusted, so as to prevent the contents of the trunk from coming in contact with or pressing against the bolt or any of its appurtenances.

Ninth, we provide a horizontal bolt inside the trunk, perforated or indented, as in Fig.1, for slotted pins or nails to check and arrest its motion if desired, or as seen in Fig. 4, A, having a screw, Figs. 4 and 5, B, on the end thereof, on which a nut, 0, having a nail-head, D, or other ornament adjusted to work in a socket, E, screwed or firmly secured into the front of the trunk F, by which nail-head or ornament the bolt is moved, being turned for that purpose, so as to control its bearing on hooks or nail-heads, as seen in the lid, letters G G.

Tenth, we provide a vertical hook-headed screw or nail, as seen inFi 6, A. Under the head of this nail or screw, through an elongated slot in the lid, a nail, as seen at B, is slid by the head on the outside of the trunk, which is large enough to cover the entire slot. The

horizontal movement of this nail will release or secure the lid, as will be readily seen by a glance at Figs. 6 and '7.

Eleventh, we provide a vertical rod, as seen, Fig. 8, which may be as long as the depth of the trunk, secured to the inner side thereof by staples or hooks, in which it freely turns. This rod is furnished with two or more arms or cams, 1), against one of which a spring, E, is placed, and secured inside the trunk. Against one or more of the other arms or earns a nail, F, passing through a slot in the trunk in manner as heretofore described, is caused to turn the same by pressing it in a direction opposite to that pressed by the spring E. On the top of this rod we secure a T or triangular head, A, with beveled edges so shaped that when the lid of the trunk is being closed down the upper point, apex, or angle entering a slot in the metal plate in the lid B shall be forced, by "irtue of its wedge-like shape, to turn so far as to admit the whole of its length into the lid above the plate, which, being closed home, allows the head, by force of the spring, to turn back again at right angles with and across the top of the slotted plate, so as to hold the lid firmly down to its place. The trunk being thus secured, it will be opened by pushing the head of the nail provided to operate upon the aforesaid arm toward the front of the trunk,

which will bring the T-head on a line parallel with the slot in the plate and with the end of the trunk, releasing the lid.

Twelfth, we provide a horizontal bolt, as seen in Fig. 9, A, with spring, which we conceal by an eccentric nail-head, B. This bolt being pushed in will release its hold on catch 0. The pressure being removed, the force of spring D will again restore the bolt to its home on catch 0, when the eccentric nail-head or or other ornament at B is turned down to conceal the bolt and its spring A and D.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A fastener or guard for trunks, constructed and operating substantially as described, so as to be susceptible of a variety of combinations and changes at the will of the owner or operator, and by which the trunk is prevented from opening.

L. OPPENHEIMER. A. W. SOHARIT.

Witnesses J 0s. PEcK, A. F. RANDALL, M. OPPENHEIMER. 

